Brown-headed Cowbirds are notorious for their breeding system called "brood parasitism"-- they lay their eggs in the nests of one of hundreds of other bird species, forcing those birds to feed their ravenous young. They've been painted as dastardly villains, but what are they really? Join us as Sarah Winnicki walks through the biology of cowbirds, paying close attention to the ways they interact with their host species, how these interactions affect the growth of cowbirds and hosts, and the current state of cowbird biology research. Bring your dinner, your drinks, and your questions!

All are welcome to attend this free event but RSVP is required.

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About Our Speaker:
Sarah Winnicki is a PhD student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a former Master's student at Kansas State University. Their MSc project, affectionately known as project Prairie Babies, assessed the impact of Brown-headed Cowbird presence on the growth of grassland bird species. Now they study the hormones invested into bird eggs and the impacts those hormones have on growth and development (with some cowbird research on the side!). When not researching, Sarah is an avid birder, bird photographer, and science communicator. You can follow Sarah's exploits on Twitter (@skwinnicki) or through their website (www.sarahwinnicki.com).